News Release

Big Thicket National Preserve Hunting Permit Registration Opens August 29, 2025

Archery

NPS Photo / Scott Sharaga

News Release Date: August 1, 2025

Contact: Megan Urban, 409-951-6700

KOUNTZE, Texas – Big Thicket National Preserve will start issuing this season’s free 2025/2026 hunting permits on Friday, August 29. Permits will be available first-come, first-served until the end of hunting season on February 28, 2026. Hunters are reminded that not all permits get issued within the first day, or within the first two weeks, and they can still get their desired hunting area even on Labor Day weekend.

Permits will be issued at the preserve visitor center from 9 am until 5 pm daily. The visitor center is located 8 miles north of Kountze at the intersection of US 69/287 and FM 420 at 6102 FM 420. 

Big Thicket hunting permits allow hunters to take white-tailed deer, squirrel, rabbit, feral hog, and waterfowl, expect those for the Lake Bayou Hunting Area, which is a waterfowl-only area. The preserve observes the State of Texas hunting seasons that occur between September 27, 2025, and February 28, 2026. Additional feral hogs may be taken by permit-holders in any hunting area except for Lake Bayou during the special hog season, which runs from January 1 to February 28, 2026.

Things to Know Before Hunting Season

• If a hunter returned their harvest report after April 1st or did not return the harvest report at all, they will not be able to get a hunting permit until Friday, September 26.
• Everyone who hunts in Big Thicket National Preserve must have a Big Thicket hunting permit.
• You must show both your current Texas hunting license and current driver’s license or state-issued ID to get a Big Thicket hunting permit.
• All hunters must apply in-person and may only hunt in one area. Parents and legal guardians may pick up permits for their children 15 and under.
• The deadline for returning hunter harvest cards after the 2025/2026 season is April 1, 2026.
  • If a hunter returns it after April 1st, they will have to wait until the Friday before the start of 2026/2027 hunting season.
  • Failure to return a hunter harvest card will result in a 1-year ban from receiving a hunting permit for the 2026/2027 hunting season.

Hunting Areas

The number of permits issued for each hunting area varies on the size and wildlife management goals for that area. The following numbers of permits, by hunting area, are available:

• Beaumont: 200
• Beech Creek: 150
• Big Sandy Creek: 400
• Jack Gore Baygall: 400
• Lance Rosier: 900
• Neches Bottom Unit: 150
• Lake Bayou Unit: 50

Visit our hunting page for more information, including maps, last season's harvest numbers, and regulations.

-NPS-

Big Thicket National Preserve is in Southeast Texas, near the city of Beaumont and 75 miles northeast of Houston. The preserve consists of nine land units and six water corridors encompassing more than 113,000 acres. The Big Thicket, often referred to as a “biological crossroads,” is a transition zone between four distinct vegetation types: the moist eastern hardwood forest, the southwestern desert, the southeastern swamp, and the central prairies. Species from all these different vegetation types come together in the thicket, exhibiting a variety of vegetation and wildlife that has received global interest.

Hunting Information

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  Join the Hunt

  Hunting

  Find out how to get a free hunting permit for Big Thicket National Preserve.

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  Know the Rules

  Hunting Regulations

  Get familiar with Big Thicket's hunting regulations before your hunting trip.

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  Dates for Each Species

  Hunting Seasons

  Get the dates for deer, hog, squirrel, rabbit, and waterfowl seasons in Big Thicket National Preserve.

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  Last Season's Stats

  Hunting Harvest Data

  See what was harvested last season in Big Thicket.